No Thanksgiving Disasters, please....

I was just thinking about all the holiday dinners that I’ve cooked for family and realizing there have been very few kitchen disasters. Well, other than when I decided to carve the ham (with a sharp, pointy knife) while it was still in the foil pan and gooey, sticky ham juice went everywhere, but we won’t bring that up.

Maybe I’m just a worry-wart, but I’ve been gathering tips that might help avoid disaster!

For the cook:  Still frozen turkey:  If you’ve waited too long to defrost your turkey (who hasn’t done this?), the cold bath in the sink trick always works, but still takes time. For a 10-12 lb. turkey, it takes about 4-6 hours; for 12-16 pounds allow 6-8 hours. If you are then running really short on time, you can always cut up the bird like you would a chicken and roast the parts.  Lumpy gravy:  I’m not sure I’ve made gravy that wasn’t lumpy. Get out the mesh strainer and strain the gravy into a new pan and get over it.

From the plumber:  Be nice to your garbage disposal!  Don’t dump grease, large amounts of food or especially stringy foods like celery and rhubarb.  You could end up with a clogged sink. Pour grease into a disposable container; run hot water over greasy food dishes and continue to run a bit afterward to wash all the grease down the drain. Be sure also to run water while using the disposal. Keep area around sink clear so that utensils or large food pieces don’t drop into disposal.

From the Fire Department:  Don’t deep fat fry your turkey. 'Nuff said.

Not necessarily disaster subject, but for the “green” in you:  Use your china!  Avoid using paper, plastic and Styrofoam, most of which will wind up in the landfill. And by using cloth napkins, your table will look even more beautiful without all the paper wasted.  And finally, compost any leftover food. If you don’t have access to composting, ask friends, family or neighbors. Food does not break down as you would presume in a landfill because there is not enough oxygen present for it to decompose naturally.

For our dogs:  They have been smelling food cooking all day and you are driving them crazy. They are on high alert for falling food, treats passed under the table….anything! Here are some foods to avoid:  Turkey bones – like chicken bones they are brittle when cooked and can splinter in your pet’s stomach. High fat foods like Turkey skin, cheeses and sausages; a sudden high level of the in the GI system can lead to a painful condition known as pancreatitis. Other toxic foods that you might see at holiday time are:  macadamia nuts, grapes and raisins, onions and garlic, nutmeg, sage and sugar free products containing xylitol.

I have a lot to be thankful for and I’m sure you do too. I like this quote from Brother David Steindl-Rast (a Benedictine monk):  Love wholeheartedly, be surprised, give thanks and praise… then you will discover the fullness of your life.

Money Saving Tip for Dog Owners

As some of you may, or may not, know I am the coordinator for the Olympia Dachshund Meetup Group. Now, before you laugh to yourself and picture a bunch of little wiener dogs running around a park and chasing each other in circles...well, go ahead. Why would I do such a thing? Well, because I own a dachshund and I thought it would be interesting to see how many would like to spend an afternoon once a month meeting other Dachshund owners. As it turns out, quite a few people wanted to do this. My Meetup website actually has 145+ members now. We always get at least a dozen or so dogs (along with their peoples) every month and some months as many as 25!

So what in the world does this have to do with Diaper Disposal Bags? And saving money?

Our Meetup group raised money for a dedication brick at the new Hawks Prairie Off-leash dog park and we had $15 left over. We decided to buy and donate doggie bags for the stations in the park. A member suggested buying these Diaper Disposal Bags from the Dollar Store, which have 75 bags per box. That’s 1,175 bags! The “Doggie” Disposal Bags (which look suspiciously similar to the “Diaper” ones) only have 50 per box. I guess that proves the theory that pets ARE more expensive than kids.

Okay, so a long way to go for this tip:  if you are a dog owner and you buy plastic poop bags, do yourself a favor and go to the Dollar Store and get the “Diaper” bags instead of the “Doggie” bags. They look the same and smell nicer. I swear, your dog will never know the difference.